Smile, because this T-shirt says so! Haha but really, I love shirts and clothes that have a little positive message on them. I wish the top was a little brighter and clearer like the stock image on the website, but it's still really cute!

Have you ever been so upset or so angry that you couldn't mask it on your face? To me, the simple act of smiling is a huge indication of internal strength. Forcing a grin on your face is a sign that despite all the obstacles and hardship you're facing, you've succeeded in separating the circumstances that the world has given you, from your mind and thoughts which YOU control. Even if it's fake or forced, to me a smile is the first step to achieving happiness and turning your attitude around.﻿

2. Understanding what success is.

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One of my biggest weaknesses, is always beating myself up for not being good enough, not measuring up to certain standards, and continually seeing my flaws over my strengths. Often we can fall into the trap of relentlessly comparing ourselves, especially to our peers in a particular line of work or niche. For me, it's fashion blogging and if I allow it, I can get very discouraged and bogged down comparing myself to the bloggers who earn more, have worked with bigger brands, travelled to more countries, etc. It happened a few times this week, where I compared myself to bloggers whom I have followed since their inception into the blogging scene, and are now much bigger than I am.

However it's important to stop focusing on all the large-scale goals other people may have reached and you haven't. Just because you didn't achieve x goal today, tomorrow, in ten years, or even ever- doesn't mean that you have failed. One of the most important things to realise, is that success can come in many different shapes and forms, no matter how big or small. Once you realise that then you'll see you actually achieve success on a day to day basis. And you may achieve different successes to everyone else you've been comparing yourself to- which makes sense because we're all different people! :)

3. My sisters.

Well I'm grateful for my sisters every week, more accurately! Lately we have been spending a lot of time together though, going shopping and watching movies. We had a great time on Sunday, eating big yummy burgers at Grill'd, doing a spot of books and clothes shopping, and then watching the new Captain America 2 movie :)

Personally I think one of the best things about having siblings, is that they teach you how to treat others. Probably the most well-known moral guide or rule for treating people, is asking would you want them to behave in the same way towards yourself? For me I always think, would I act and talk to someone in the same way, as I would to my sisters? For this reason, I would never say unkind things to others, or try to bring them down. Therefore I'm really glad for having sisters for teaching this to me! :)

Oh siblings. I used to fight with my brother all the time as a kid, but I'm really fond of him and he's helped me a lot during difficult times. The thing I'm most afraid of is that we may drift apart as I currently live abroad and come home just for a couple of days per year. :/

I can definitely relate to Number 2 but luckily I've finally turned a corner and am able to settle the mental chatter that tells me I haven't gone hard enough on XYZ. I think in the blogging space, many people compare themselves to that small proportion of bloggers who make it big and are able to make it their main stream of income. It's probably more important to take a step back and realise that comparing your success to that of another will only serve to distract you from your own goals!

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